Concepts
Category budget vs payment-method budget
Cap spending by type, by card, or both.
Category budgets cap a type of spending (Food $400). Payment-method budgets cap spend on a specific card or cash (Credit card $800). Running both is normal: stay under Dining and keep the card bill predictable.
When to use which
| Situation | Start with |
|---|---|
| Groceries vs dining out combined | Category: Food |
| Card promo period / limit anxiety | Payment-method: that card |
| Cash envelope for fun money | Wallet + category, or payment-method: Cash |
Common mistakes
- Only category budgets on a maxed card — Category can look fine while the card bill surprises you.
- Duplicate caps — Food $400 and card $400 without planning may double-count mentally; pick what you check weekly.
- Ignoring rollover on lumpy categories — Enable rollover for categories that vary month to month.
Product guides: Budgets · Payment methods.